Human resourcefulness - 1800 Flowers

by Maureen Paradine

The Great Recession has affected virtually every aspect of the corporate landscape, and with bonuses and the promise of large pay increases reduced or eliminated from many budgets, the ability to recruit and keep exceptional employees has been challenged. Yet, as with any challenge, there are opportunities to set yourself apart.

In terms of recruitment, the tough economy has prompted many human resources professionals to more actively promote their companies as career destinations offering long-term rewards. With that in mind, a company should look for team members who share the company's view of corporate culture. Seek to hire people who come to you because they want to work with your company, they believe in what your organization is about, they want to grow with it, and they understand there's a big mark they can make there.

Integral to that approach are the messages conveyed to potential employees...and it's important to tailor those messages in ways that best reflect what is special about your particular company. When we interview people, we talk a lot about how we are an entrepreneurial organization that encourages people at all levels to come forward with ideas. We tell them: what you put into your career is what you get out of it here. We are not the type of company that has rigid career paths that must be followed. We will assist employees in expanding their career in diverse ways, facilitating cross-functional moves, supporting advancement in different directions, providing employees with the means to reach for and obtain their goals no matter how ambitious.

In some ways, a lot of companies tend to get away from those kinds of basic messages during good times and the dialog between recruits and a human resources department can sometimes center almost exclusively around compensation. In what I feel is a good way, the recession has prompted a renewed emphasis on the value of growth partnership between an employee and the company they work for, a sharing of common goals that benefits both parties.

Concurrent with the economic downturn has been a dramatic increase in the use of online recruiting tools. Social sites such as LinkedIn can be instrumental in recruitment efforts. Social media enables us to network with people and get into a group where we can look at profiles and resumés of the best candidates and then reach out to them - even if they're not looking for a new job. As you would imagine, this greatly expands the recruitment universe, allowing companies to target passive candidates instead of just active ones.

With regard to retention, it's imperative to establish and constantly maintain open, two-way communication with employees. Managers need to openly recognize high-achievement employees and give those employees motivating reasons to continue achieving. Now more than ever, that means managers need to enthusiastically engage the people who work hard for them. They must take the time to mentor, to develop their employees, to help them get the right training so they can move to the next rung of their career.

In keeping with that philosophy, our HR department recently rolled out our "Leadership Development Program." We are working with management throughout our Company, asking them to tell us about their top people below the vice president level so we can collaborate closely with those people, widen their horizons, and help assure they get to their next career plateau. Those who are selected are given relevant business books and articles to read, they are exposed to executives across the Company, and they receive very specific training to pave the way for them to succeed. In essence, we are communicating to those people who are chosen for the program that our Company is investing in them, counting on them for our future growth.

Furthering our commitment to open communication and helping to enhance our retention capabilities are the steps we take if someone decides to leave our Company. Immediately after learning that someone plans to leave we speak with their manager and we also make sure to conduct a candid exit interview with the departing employee. We ask the manager what they have done during the person's tenure to train them, to enable them to get a feel for other areas of the Company, and maybe most essential, if they have listened to what the employee has to say. We then ask the employee about the relationship, what they liked, what they did not, how things might have been better.

All of this delivers crucial information that can translate to higher retention rates by encouraging managers to make their employees feel like they are a vital part of the organizational culture - effectively helping employees realize they have an impact on the performance of the Company. Concurrently, we have developed a retention report card that goes out monthly to all vice presidents, enabling our executives to see the retention numbers for each department and clearly identify those managers who are doing the best job of holding onto valuable people.

Another key recruitment and retention strategy during this economic downturn is the creative use of cost efficient yet attractive added-value initiatives. Among these are employee wellness programs that include discounts at fitness centers, free cholesterol screenings, skin health tips and weight management strategies.

Additionally, many companies today are making business gifting services a pivotal part of what is offered to potential and current employees. Through these programs, companies partner with gift providers to offer employee-only discounts on a wide array of products and services ranging from birthday and anniversary gifts to expert advice on conveying appropriate sentiments and choosing thoughtful gifts for sympathy occasions.

Partnering with business gift providers also offers a great way for companies to thank employees on occasions such as Administrative Professionals Week, and, to recognize employees at special times in their lives or careers, such as on their birthday or when they reach a service milestone.

About

Maureen Paradine is Senior Vice President of Human Resources for 1-800-FLOWERS.COM.  Her career in HR has spanned more than 20 years.